NABC Chapter 229 New Position
Chapter 229 New Position
Chapter 229 New Position
From the headmaster's office on the eighth floor, you can see the Hogwarts Express disappearing into the distance.
"Is Harry going to stay at Arthur's house for a while?"
"That's right. Harry was already visiting his classmates during the holidays. Summer is long, so it's good for him to spend time with his friends."
Ryan watched the red train disappear into the distance. "What did you need me for, Principal?"
"The International Federation of Wizarding Societies has sent you an invitation." The president of the International Federation of Wizarding Societies, Dumbledore, personally handed Ryan a letter.
Ryan accepted the beautifully packaged letter, sealed with pale gold wax and bearing the logo of the International Wizarding Federation.
Open the envelope.
[Dear Mr. Ryan Wales:]
Hello! It is an honor to extend this invitation to you. In recognition of your outstanding contributions to the magical world, the significant protection you have provided for wizarding lives, and the immense impact the birth of the Magisterium wizard has had on the wizarding community, the International Wizarding Federation Committee has decided, after careful consideration, to formally invite you to become a member of the International Wizarding Federation Committee.
All members of the International Federation of Wizards Committee.
President of the International Federation of Wizarding Societies: Dumbledore.
This is a very short letter.
"The International Wizarding Federation? The fact that you, Principal, are willing to serve as its president means that this federation has no real power; it's just a title. Is it really worth you calling me here all this way?"
Ryan couldn't understand why Dumbledore would go to such lengths to send him an invitation for such a trivial title.
"The International Federation of Wizards is still considered very important by some people," Dumbledore said, trying to salvage his reputation.
However, everyone knows his character well. To prevent himself from becoming the next Dark Lord after getting involved in power, Dumbledore prefers to lock himself in the small Hogwarts.
Therefore, his positions as President of the International Federation of Wizards and Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot Wizarding Court in England are more about honor and responsibility than power.
"They saw that footage too? My fire was quite intimidating," Ryan said. "Will any of them recognize the source of the magic I used?"
"Many people have already written to me. That's why we're asking you to join the International Federation of Wizards."
Dumbledore walked to the bookshelf, opened it, and a pile of mail slid off the shelf.
Various kinds of mail envelopes. Ryan's eyes caught a glimpse of a letter from Mrs. Maxim among them.
He wasn't worried at all because he held power in his hands, and because he hadn't instigated a war that would shake the entire wizarding world like Grindelwald had. Therefore, anyone or any organization could only reasonably harbor suspicions.
We cannot use this as a reason to be hostile to him, otherwise we would not be standing on the high ground of justice to judge the Dark Lord, but rather standing on the opposing side to be hostile.
He said, "The flames are clearly different colors."
"It's so similar, except for the color," Dumbledore said. "Someone really did try to peer into the memories of Martin and the others, and their memories are different from what's left on the market. In their memories, there's that thousand-meter-long fire serpent, which makes them think of all sorts of creatures flying out of the blue flames in Paris that night."
Ryan: "So, the headmaster specifically called me here to tell me to keep a low profile from now on? But I won't be able to use magic much for the next two months!"
Dumbledore said, "No, I'm not telling you to keep a low profile. I'm telling you that from now on, many people will treat you as a big shot, sending you letters from all over the world and doing everything they can to speak to you. The Wizarding Court is also interested in having you join them."
"Is it the International Court of Wizardry, or the British Court of Wizardry, namely Wizengamot?"
These two are different. Although there is no necessary hierarchical relationship between them, the International Wizarding Court is composed of key personnel from the Ministries of Magic of various countries and some of the most commendable figures in the global wizarding community today, while the Wizengamot in England is composed of half of the high-ranking officials of the Ministries of Magic and the other half of the well-known figures in the British wizarding community.
For example, every member of the current Council of Ministers is a member of the British Court of Wizardry. And Gershilda Marchiban and Tiberius Ogden, who have long since retired, are also senior members of Wizengamor.
"The seat at Wizengamot is of no use to you," Dumbledore said. Now Lane's influence was growing, and he had people in all walks of life, at least in England.
Ryan said, "The International Court of Wizardry? In my mind, this institution's function is more diplomatic."
"I called you here to discuss another matter with you, concerning the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I think you no longer need to act as the head of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class; there are other positions that require your expertise."
What are the principal's thoughts?
"For Defense Against the Dark Arts class, I'd like to find a new professor to substitute. You might be able to learn from this professor how to handle fan mail."
Dumbledore smiled as if he had thought of something amusing: "As for you, what do you think of the position of assistant headmaster? When I'm not around, you can work with the heads of the house to manage Hogwarts affairs."
Sure enough, this was a legitimate way to grant authority—Lane felt that all of his research was being observed by the senior researchers, who were all supporting his research in their own ways.
For example, the position of assistant headmaster established by Dumbledore means a certain degree of authority over Hogwarts Castle.
He said, "I have no problem with it and would be happy to accept the position. However, the curse of Defense Against the Dark Arts still exists—it would be my greatest wish for the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to leave Hogwarts without being seriously injured."
"If he is truly as he describes in his books, then he certainly possesses sufficient skill," Dumbledore said lightly. "In his books, he handles all sorts of unexpected situations himself. How realistically he writes about it! It must be something that actually happened."
The writing is factual, but Dumbledore could not be certain of the author's true skill level.
Ryan instantly realized that an anomaly had appeared in the otherwise simple and honest magical world—an anomaly who stole other people's experiences and put them under his own name.
"Gidero Lockhart, you should have heard of him, a very famous bestselling author."
Dumbledore uttered the name, and Lane searched his memory for Lockhart: an internationally renowned figure and author, a recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class, an honorary member of the League Against the Dark Arts, and a five-time winner of the Wizarding Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award.
"Hermione mentioned a book called 'I Am Magical,' which I think is Lockhart's autobiography. I flipped through a few pages at the library; the content was well-written, but the details about magic were handled rather vaguely."
Ryan recalled the few pages he had read: "I originally thought Mr. Lockhart was afraid that his secret techniques would be revealed, but now it seems that we may not be so sure."
Dumbledore picked up his wand: "What you need to learn is how to handle letters from fans and admirers. Now I'm giving you the authority of an assistant headmaster."